This presentation provides an overview of photonic measurement techniques and their use in isolating faults and locating defects in ICs. It covers transmission, reflectance, and absorption methods, describing key interactions and important parameters and equations. Reflectance methods discussed include electro-optical probing (EOP), electro-optical frequency modulation (EOFM), and laser-voltage imaging (LVI). Absorption methods covered include those based on the absorption of light in semiconductors, as in optical beam induced current (OBIC), light-induced voltage alteration (LIVA), and laser-assisted device alteration (LADA), and those based on absorption in metals, as in thermally induced voltage alteration (TIVA), optical beam induced resistance change (OBIRCH), and thermoelectric voltage generation or Seebeck effect imaging (SEI). The presentation also covers thermoluminescence (lock-in thermography) and electroluminescence (photon emission) measurement methods and assesses hardware security risks posed by current and emerging photonic localization techniques.

This presentation covers the basic physics needed to understand and to effectively apply backside IC analysis techniques to flip-chip packaged die. It describes the principles of light transmission through silicon and the factors that influence optical image formation from the backside of the wafer or die. It also provides information on the tools and techniques used to expose surfaces, regions, and features of interest for analysis. It describes the steps involved in CNC milling, mechanical grinding and polishing, reactive ion etching (RIE), laser microchemical (LMC) etching, and milling and etching by focused ion beam (FIB). It explains where and how each technique is used and quantifies the capabilities of different combinations of methods.

This presentation provides an overview of photonic measurement techniques and their use in isolating faults and locating defects in ICs. It covers transmission, reflectance, and absorption methods, describing key interactions and important parameters and equations. Reflectance methods discussed include electro-optical probing (EOP), electro-optical frequency modulation (EOFM), and laser-voltage imaging (LVI). Absorption methods covered include those based on the absorption of light in semiconductors, as in optical beam induced current (OBIC), light-induced voltage alteration (LIVA), and laser-assisted device alteration (LADA), and those based on absorption in metals, as in thermally induced voltage alteration (TIVA), optical beam induced resistance change (OBIRCH), and thermoelectric voltage generation or Seebeck effect imaging (SEI). The presentation also covers thermoluminescence (lock-in thermography) and electroluminescence (photon emission) measurement methods and assesses hardware security risks posed by current and emerging photonic localization techniques.

This presentation covers the basic physics needed to effectively apply backside IC analysis techniques to flip-chip packaged die. It describes the principles of light transmission through silicon and the factors that influence optical image formation from the backside of the wafer or die. It also provides information on the tools and techniques used to expose surfaces, regions, and features of interest for analysis. It describes the steps involved in CNC milling, mechanical grinding and polishing, reactive ion etching (RIE), laser microchemical (LMC) etching, and milling and etching by focused ion beam (FIB). It explains where and how each technique is used and quantifies the capabilities of different combinations of methods.

Aplanatic solid immersion lens (SIL) microscopy is required to achieve the highest possible resolution for next generation silicon IC backside inspection and failure analysis. However, aplanatic SILs are susceptible to spherical aberration introduced by substrate thickness mismatch. We have developed a wavefront precompensation technique using a MEMS deformable mirror and demonstrated an increase in substrate thickness tolerance in aplanatic SIL imaging. Good agreement between theory and experiment is achieved and spot intensity increases by at least a factor of two to three are demonstrated for thicknesses deviating several percent from ideal. This technique is also capable of fixing aberrations due to SIL fabrication, off-axis imaging and refractive index mismatch.

Among the methods for imaging failure analysis of Thin Film Transistor Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD) Cell, the measurement of optical characteristics is extremely effective to identify the imaging failure type. We have evaluated time dependency of transmitted light intensity under holding condition at a single pixel level on a LCD Cell. This is defined as Optical Holding Rate (OHR). OHR characterizes the Voltage Holding Rate (VHR) of actual Cell. VHR is generally used for Liquid Crystal evaluation. This method enables us to identify which part of LCD Cell causes imaging failure, especially by measuring OHR as a function of various driving parameters. After classifying the imaging failure modes, we can investigate the failure mechanisms by structure or surface analysis. In conclusion, to measure OHR is effective to identify imaging failure type of LCD Cell.

Backside failure analysis techniques rely heavily on transmission of near infrared (IR) radiation through the silicon substrate. This statement applies both to emission techniques and active laser probing. Heavy doping of substrates causes them to become highly absorptive in the near IR due to band gap shifts, which effects phonon-assisted absorption, and to free-carrier absorption. Substrate thinning is often required to allow adequate optical transmission. This paper describes an empirical approach to determining the absorption coefficient in a heavily doped substrate and use of the coefficient in determining the amount of substrate thinning required.